2019 - The Farm

Ruid · Jun 22, 2019

But isn't climate change over large spans of time and more of a subject for those who study the planet?

TrentL · Jun 22, 2019

Mr.joe said:
If we had your weather they would declare an emergency. We just get heat and wind. Very little wet stuff

The real emergency will be this winter, at the grocery store checkout register.

TrentL · Jun 22, 2019

Ruid said:
But isn't climate change over large spans of time and more of a subject for those who study the planet?

Well we know we get climate change on Earth - the periodic cyclical ice ages tell us what we need to know with regards to that. Chicago sits on land that was previously a mile thick glacier. (In fact, that area *is still rising* - rebounding a tiny fraction of an inch a year, because the crust is still "dented" from the weight of the glaciers that sat over it)

And within those larger cycles, are smaller cycles. Nature is chaotic yes, but predictably so, due to the very structure of the universe being what it is. These patterns are seemingly chaotic (and rightly so) as nature doesn't operate on the same type of math that we do. We have a 10 base math system, and it falls apart when you get to irrational things. All of our computing devices clip (round or truncate) numbers at some point; there is no absolute precision. In nature, when particles interact the "remainder" of chemical changes is stored; there IS absolute precision in nature, up to a point, because electron energy, for instance, is a full-range, infinitely precise scale; and so on.

When nature *does* round (remainders of chemical interactions from cells, DNA, etc) you get pretty little chaotic patterns - the shape of a maple leaf; the structure of a snowflake - the distribution of a soluble solution or the smoke pattern lifting off of an extinguished candle. All examples of chaotic - but not chaotic - fractal patterns that emerge from the tiny little remainders and imprecision (while being simultaneously absolutely precise) in the structure of the universe.

My opinion (and this is merely my opinion, physicists and chemists would likely strongly disagree with me) is that nature doesn't use 10-base math, so our math sort of falls apart when trying to simulate what nature does. Nature uses x(n)-Base math where X is the particular atom in question and (n) is the subatomic structures which "store" or use the remainder of energy left over from transactions or interactions with other atoms. On a larger scale (well, still small, but "larger" in this context) of biology, chemistry, or physics, the pattern which develops from chemical interactions (driven by DNA interactions in plants, animals, etc, or cellular interactions with base nutrients/elements) contributes to how an organism works; leaf shape, root development, hormone interactions, and so on. All driven by precise, yet imprecise, mathematics which work on a non-10-base system, which is why we find it so very difficult to grasp something which is so elegantly simple in design. We've trained our people, and our minds, from a very young age to be accountants with 10 base math, instead of remaining flexible to the possibility that "maybe we are doing this mathematics thing ALL wrong" ...

Weather operates on the same principals on a macro scale, heat energy, moisture, electrical atmospheric charge contributes to stored energy. And like any system, these "chaotic" events are not really chaotic at all, but very natural phenomenon. We can't predict the outcome because there's no way for us to know *precisely* how much energy or movement is going to occur because we can't know the sum total of the stored energy of even a tiny bit of atmosphere, let alone, exactly what energy is stored in every molecule of water vapor or atom of oxygen or nitrogen, or (so on).

To us, it's chaos, but in nature, beautiful patterns emerge for cloud formations, and so on. And when things hit critical energy amounts and conditions are right, we get amazing, destructive patterns emerging - hurricanes, tornadoes, and so on.

To be clear - here - global warming isn't the concern. When things get too hot nature has a way of sucking cold back down to the surface (those beautiful funnels in hurricanes and tornadoes, to start).

No, my concern is what comes after, because when you tip the scales too far on a complex closed loop system the rebound action is extreme. Those polar vortexes we see nowadays? Should be far more concerned about that, than global warming. That's what kicks off the next ice age, over a long period of time.

I've always been of the opinion that we are still on the post-ice-age upslope, eventually we're gonna go back down in to one again.

We can survive hotter temps - still massive amounts of unworkable land in Canada, Siberia, etc that is ultra-fertile, but not workable at present because of harsh winter conditions.

We can NOT survive - at current population levels - rapid global cooling, however.

Ruid · Jun 22, 2019

So you do study the earth. Good read!

At first, it seemed like asking a chef questions about farming.

TrentL · Jun 22, 2019

Go look at this post from this day last year (and others that follow it)

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/67036-2018-the-farm/?p=1562178

PaulG · Jun 24, 2019

What a difference, Trent.

Really sad.

But, you have some bright spots with your
seed peppers and cannabis crop. We are
all pulling for you, my friend!

TrentL · Jun 25, 2019

Losses on the north field are mounting, probably 10-15%. Habaneros and MOA's are on higher ground so they are doing well. Only a few broken by 70+mph winds.

In the organic pasture I might be looking at 70-80% of the chinense crop dead.

Most of it is under water at this point.

We had more than 3" of rain at the farm today. We were hit by three thunderstorms back to back over the course of the day. Brings our total rain at the farm this week to nearly 1 foot.

PaulG · Jun 25, 2019

Thanks for keeping us posted, Trent. I know it
cant be pleasant for you to write about the
travails this season.

Good on ya for keeping a forward thinking attitude!

TrentL · Jun 25, 2019

BDASPNY · Jun 25, 2019

that's heartbreaking to see all that loss. I really hope things look up soon.

Mr.joe · Jun 25, 2019

TrentL said:
Go look at this post from this day last year (and others that follow it)

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/67036-2018-the-farm/?p=1562178

I just read thru that glog (read lots,
Seen all of the pics) starting on that page. Your glogs blow my mind, the quantity you operate is beyond anything I could imagine doing. Your little helper is great, she will always remember the days growing up on the farm. Her sitting and eating tomatoes is awesome. Last night I picked a few tomatoes and my little guy grabbed one and immediately stuffed it in his mouth probably expecting a grape then he spit it onto the floor. Great reading as always, just know we are all rooting for you.

Mr.joe · Jun 25, 2019

TrentL said:
Losses on the north field are mounting, probably 10-15%. Habaneros and MOA's are on higher ground so they are doing well. Only a few broken by 70+mph winds.

In the organic pasture I might be looking at 70-80% of the chinense crop dead.

Most of it is under water at this point.

We had more than 3" of rain at the farm today. We were hit by three thunderstorms back to back over the course of the day. Brings our total rain at the farm this week to nearly 1 foot.

Where I am we average 14 inches of rain per year... we do get our share of wind tho.

simp3204 · Jun 25, 2019

Sorry to hear about the weather issues Trent, I’m staying positive the cannabis crop will be a huge success for your family and you! Are you planning sees sales for the next growing season?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TrentL · Jun 25, 2019

simp3204 said:
Sorry to hear about the weather issues Trent, I’m staying positive the cannabis crop will be a huge success for your family and you! Are you planning sees sales for the next growing season?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes isolation peppers are doing well and we are going to start harvesting seeds this week off of the first ripe pods, to repopulate the online catalog

Also, cannabis seed, yes, I just leased land at 3 additional farms, today, for growing seed stock on, all 5+ miles apart from each other.

If all goes well with cannabis we should have enough seed stock and transplants next year for about 6,000 acres worth.

Hawkins · Jun 25, 2019

Have you got the results back from the USDA testing that they did a few weeks ago? The ones that were testing for the herbicide drift.

TrentL · Jun 26, 2019

Hawkins said:
Have you got the results back from the USDA testing that they did a few weeks ago? The ones that were testing for the herbicide drift.

Not yet

stettoman · Jun 26, 2019

Wow, and here I am whining about the same crap season we had last year up here in Frostbite Falls....I am humbled by your tribulations, Trent.

Ruid · Jun 26, 2019

Now figure out how to get THC and CBD into the peppers. =P

skullbiker · Jun 26, 2019

Ruid said:
Now figure out how to get THC and CBD into the peppers. =P

[emoji382]

TrentL · Jun 27, 2019

Couple days ago it rained so damn hard, the greenhouse itself got water running through it.